UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
MacKinnon, Colleen Thornton
Dept./Program:
College of Education and Social Services
Year:
2005
Degree:
Ed. D.
Abstract:
The U.S. Government's General Accounting Office (1995) and the National Center for Education Statistics (2000) reported on the physical conditions of America's public schools and estimated more than 60% of these schools required major renovation. The lack of contemporary facilities plus the proliferation of technologies in recent decades implicates a need for project planners to consider ways educational and other technologies influence schools and schooling. Using a grounded theory approach, this qualitative study focused on the relationship between technologies and school architecture. Beginning with the expert perspectives of educators familiar with educational technologies, key themes emerged including (a) requirements for flexible work environments, (b) access and control of specialized resources, (c) demands for continuous embedded professional development, and (d) the prioritization of aesthetic and environmental conditions. Subsequently, architects responded to these visions by considering implications for architecture.
A thematic analysis of coded data derived from eighteen interviews suggests that technologies influence school designs in two ways: First, the use of wireless technologies allows communication and instructional activities to occur almost anywhere so that design decisions rely more on how schools organize people than on restrictions imposed by hard-wired technologies. Therefore, school interiors should include a variety of spaces to accommodate different size groupings and activities, yet also embody universal applicability. Second, technologies contribute to facilities operations by controlling access to resources and moderating a building's environmental conditions such as lighting, temperature, air quality, and acoustics. Overall, findings indicate that facilities planners should consider school renovations with a focus on space usage flexibility, integration with the broader community, selection of quality building materials, prioritization of aesthetic values, and patterns of social interaction. As technologies become more ubiquitous, more importance should be given to designing communal spaces in these public buildings that celebrate the social aspects of learning. Given the widespread need to modernize public school facilities, knowledge gained through this research could also help inform state policy development and school district decision-making related to school construction.
A thematic analysis of coded data derived from eighteen interviews suggests that technologies influence school designs in two ways: First, the use of wireless technologies allows communication and instructional activities to occur almost anywhere so that design decisions rely more on how schools organize people than on restrictions imposed by hard-wired technologies. Therefore, school interiors should include a variety of spaces to accommodate different size groupings and activities, yet also embody universal applicability. Second, technologies contribute to facilities operations by controlling access to resources and moderating a building's environmental conditions such as lighting, temperature, air quality, and acoustics. Overall, findings indicate that facilities planners should consider school renovations with a focus on space usage flexibility, integration with the broader community, selection of quality building materials, prioritization of aesthetic values, and patterns of social interaction. As technologies become more ubiquitous, more importance should be given to designing communal spaces in these public buildings that celebrate the social aspects of learning. Given the widespread need to modernize public school facilities, knowledge gained through this research could also help inform state policy development and school district decision-making related to school construction.